Okay everyone!
I promised a wicked long ass chapter 5 for you, and here it is!
This one is 17 pages long.
So it makes up for the last chapter and then some.
Again, I'm wicked sorry the last chapter was so short, but I think you'll all forgive me when you read this one.
Or at least I HOPE you will.
Okay, it's time for the Wedding!
WARNING!
Have your tissue boxes full and ready!
Because I have a feeling some of you might get a little teary eyed and most likely ball at this wedding.
I hope you all enjoy it!
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Chapter 5: The Ceremony
Kagome had been rushing around the makeshift tent she had brought over a few weeks ago, helping Sango get ready. Unfortunately, the Demon Slayer was a nervous wreck. She kept crying and tripping over her long white kimono's hem everytime she had her hair pulled back into the intricate bun Kagome's mother was doing for her.
Ayame and Rin watched on, wearing their own ceremony kimono's, and shaking their heads at the young woman.
"Sango, you need to calm down," Ayame said dully to her as she tripped once more, only this time over her Hiraikotsu.
The make up Sachi had put on the young woman's eyes was now running down her face in thin, black rivers. And her hands were shaking from her near panic attack. Kagome felt for her, knowing how Miroku could be. But this was ridiculous, Sango had nothing to worry about.
"Sango, why are you getting so worked up? I thought you wanted to marry Miroku?" she asked her friend as she cleaned her face off.
"I do…," she croaked. "It's just… there's no one here to walk me to the Sacred Tree… I have no one left from my family to do it…"
Now Kagome understood. Sango missed her brother… again. And the only one who could ever calm her down now was in fact, Miroku. But it was bad luck for them to see each other before the wedding. So, they needed something else right now to calm her down.
Looking to her mother, Kagome pleaded with her eyes for something, anything, to just get Sango to stop crying. This was not how everything was suppose to be. They were all suppose to be happy today. And only tears of happiness should be shed.
Kagome's mother wrapped her arms around Sango, giving her some comfort. She had learned of everything that had happened a while ago to the poor young woman. And she truly felt sorry for her. It was hard to have your wedding and have nobody from your own family there. It had happened to her husband, gods bless his resting soul, when they had married.
Looking the young woman she thought of as another daughter in the eyes, she smiled warmly to her.
"But he is here, sweetheart. I know of whom you are mourning for. And I believe your little brother is watching over you, along with everyone else from your family. And besides," she said as she gestured at everyone in the tent, including Kaede. "We are all your family as well. So, don't think you have nobody here with you on your special day."
Sango smiled past her tears and hugged the older woman a little closer to her, now crying softly. Everyone piled in to hug her as well, knowing how much she needed them right now.
When they all pulled away, Sango wiped her eyes once more and asked for the make up to be put back on. Kagome smiled, and gladly fixed it for her.
When Sango was completely ready, and smiling brightly, she touched her healing tattoo on her shoulder.
"I love you…Kohaku," she whispered to herself as she looked at all of the other women in the small cramped tent. "And I love all of you as well."
They all nodded and smiled back at her, knowing that all she had needed was a little push in the positive direction. But soon, they all turned on Kagome, and gave her a look.
"What?" she asked looking at all of them nervously.
"You're going to be late to your own wedding if you don't hurry it up Missy," her mother scolded her. "Now get changed!"
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Inuyasha fidgeted in his black kimono as he stood near the Sacred Tree with all of the other males of the group. They were all also wearing the ceremonious black robes, but they all seemed to be more comfortable than he was. Even Shippo seemed to be enjoying himself as he was dressed just like all of them. His hair had been straightened and hung loosely in a black leather band, and he was also holding both sets of rings.
Totosai had made them special for both couples. Miroku's ring was a simple gold band with a medium sized oval, Amethyst stone in the center. And his and Sango's name's on either side of the band. Sango's was pretty much the same, only hers was a pink stone called Rose Quarts, and her stone was cut into the shape of a heart. And Miroku had also asked Totosai to lightly engrave the names of every member of her family along the band… and have small diamonds next to each of their names.
Inuyasha's band was intricately designed in both silver and rose gold vines wrapping around each other, and his stone was a square cut Ruby. But Kagome's was the most beautiful, and the most detailed. Inuyasha had decided that he wasn't just going to give her a ring… he was going to give her a memory.
It had taken Totosai a lot longer than everyone else's rings, but it had been worth it. Kagome's wedding ring was engraved delicately with the first time they had met. Her on one side in her school uniform…and him, still trapped under the spell on the Sacred Tree on the other. They were both made out of rose gold, and the rest of the band was made out of pure silver, with a thin outline of regular gold. And the stone he had chosen for her… was a large, white diamond in the shape of a fat oval. The best part was, on the inside of the ring was their names. And he couldn't wait to give it to her.
Since Kagome had wanted to be surprised, like Sango, both he and Miroku had asked for the designs. So, being the thoughtful gentlemen they were, asked for these rings to be as special as possible.
Totosai, the poor old man. Had done more than that and then more. It had taken him weeks to finish these rings. And he had almost worked himself to death over finishing them in time. If these ladies weren't happy… well, he would just cry.
Looking to Miroku, he rolled his eyes as he twitched again.
"This thing is itchy," he complained.
Miroku laughed at him, but pulled on the collar of his kimono just the same.
"Look on the bright side Inuyasha. Once the ceremony is over, we can all change back. It should only take an hour."
"That's if these women ever hurry up," he snorted. "What's taking them so long anyways?"
"Little brother," Sesshomaru sighed. "Haven't you learned anything about women?"
"Yeah dad," Shippo said laughing. "In case you've forgotten, mom took two hours to get ready for the festival we had last year. I still remember how many times she sat you for your impatience."
Now everyone was laughing at him. Growling, he smacked his son upside the head, signaling him to shut up. Shippo gave him a dirty look, but heeded his warning. This was Inuyasha's day as well as his mother's, so pissing him off right now wasn't the best idea.
Sesshomaru smiled as he looked at everyone around him. He still couldn't believe his new family consisted of four humans, three youkai's, and his hanyou brother. And he never thought he would be present to witness the day his brother married. But somehow, he was grateful, and he found his mind wandering to a time before they had defeated Naraku. A time when Jaken was still among the living…
Flashback…
The memory was as clear as day still to him. He was sitting on a large boulder in the Forest of Inuyasha, thinking over everything that had recently happened. Inuyasha had saved Rin, who was sixteen at the time, from a spider youkai. He was now healing from the wounds he had received the night before. And his human woman, Kagome, was tending to his wounds, and yelling at him to stay in bed.
He still couldn't believe what his brother had done what he could not. And even though Rin was perfectly fine now, his mind was still trying to process his feelings.
He didn't understand why his brother had saved her. Other than the fact that she was a human in need of saving, why else would he help him, his horrible, evil, cold hearted older brother?
"My lord?" an old, fragile voice called to him from the base of the large rock. "May I come up?"
When Sesshomaru looked down, he saw his servant, Jaken. In all of the years the little toad demon had followed him around, he really had aged. He now had a small white beard forming at the base of his chin. And his hands were now starting to get boney and he had warts everywhere, due to age. He'd noticed this happening almost four years ago, and he had a funny feeling it had a lot to do with Rin becoming a woman. The little toad had somehow matured, and had pretty much become the little human girl's surrogate parent.
Not feeling the need to be an asshole at the moment, he nodded his head at the little green man. Slowly, Jaken made his way up the boulder, using his staff as a cane. When he finally reached the top, he sighed in relief and sat down next to his master.
"You seemed… troubled, my lord," he said very calmly to him. "Is there something that is on your mind?"
Normally, Sesshomaru would hit the little toad for his conduct. But since he was so old and frail, and not wanting to hurt or possible kill him, he decided that maybe just this once, he could open up to him.
"Why did Inuyasha do that? I don't understand how my brother could risk his life like that last night of all night's to save a human girl. Why is he so reckless?" he said almost in a fury. "We're sworn enemies, and we hate each other. Why would he do something to help me, even if it nearly meant his own life?"
As he continued his rant, Jaken smiled lightly. His master was so young still, and he didn't understand that very, very, very deep down, he did care for Inuyasha. He was blood after all. And nothing can change that. Jaken had also noticed the way his master was slowly falling for Rin. She was an amazing young beauty, and a daughter to him now practically. She had won over both of their hearts over the many years she had been around. Only in different ways, and she had truly saved them both.
Without Rin around, they would both most likely still be very bitter and cold towards every human they had ever known. And Inuyasha must have known somehow, that hiding when everyone else was fighting that night, that his brother needed this young woman in his life. Even if it meant his own.
When Sesshomaru had seen the large spider youkai going directly for Rin, he'd panicked. Being trapped by another set of demon spiders, he couldn't reach her in time. But then his brother of all people, in his human form, jumped out in front of Rin as it was about to strike. And the poisonous fangs of the spider had sunk deep into his chest, paralyzing him instantly.
When the rest of Inuyasha's pack had finally been able to kill off the demons, Sesshomaru had run over to Inuyasha. And what he had felt right then and there, still haunted him.
Fear. Total, and absolute fear that his brother would die. And for saving Rin no less.
When he had finally seen Rin, a little banged up, he was relieved beyond belief. She was crying and now hugging him around his waist, shaking from being so scared. But his brother, had been in much worse shape.
His color was pale, and his breathing was labored. Kagome kept screaming at him, calling him names and crying. When Myoga had finally shown up, he'd sucked as much of the poison out as possible, and they had all started heading back to the village. Rin wanted to make sure her savoir made it through the night, and even though he wouldn't admit it, Sesshomaru did as well.
Luckily, Inuyasha had made it, but he was still very weak from having his chest ripped open. And Kagome forced him to stay in bed, telling him he could have all the Ramen he wanted…as long as he stayed in bed.
So now here he was, sitting on a rock deep in the forest, talking to the old toad who had followed him around for centuries. And he felt as though having something like this bother him was a bad thing. So, turning to him, after he had finished, he looked to the older demon… for some form of help.
"Well?" he asked impatiently.
Jaken sat there for a while, maybe thinking of how to word this. Knowing his master, he might not be happy with the knowledge that he did in fact care for his brother's well being. But it was worth a shot none the less.
"My lord," he said sighing as he looked back out at the tops of the trees. "This may be hard for you to hear, but I think the reason you feel this fear is because you do in fact care for your brother… Inuyasha risked his life last night to protect Rin. And I believe the reason he did that is because he knew you care for her. And though you may not admit it," he said now looking back at him. "You do. So why don't you just make a truce with your brother? I think it's time you both started getting along anyways."
Sesshomaru's eyes widened at his servant's bluntness. Did he really care for his brother?
Yes.
Was he grateful that Inuyasha had saved Rin last night?
Yes.
Did he really have feelings for Rin?
… Well, some thing's come with time don't they? He did care about her. But he still didn't know in which way.
But Jaken was right, it was time to start getting along. Inuyasha was all he had left, and it took nearly losing him last night for hi to see he did in fact care about him. Half breed or not, Inuyasha was his family.
Getting up, he looked at the toad, and gave him a very small smile.
"Thank you, Jaken," he said. "Now, do you need help getting down?"
Jaken shook his head and gave him the simple smile he had given him for years now.
"I may be old, but I'm not completely helpless yet, master," he said as he used his staff to help him stand up.
Sesshomaru shook his head at the older demon. No matter what, he always refused help from him, even when he was actually being nice. But he figured, by now, maybe it was time to accept his emotions and learn the meanings of them for himself. And being nice wasn't all that bad, as long as nobody did anything to spoil his mood.
"Okay old man, lets start heading back then," he said as he jumped down.
As Jaken watched his master start to run back to the village, he smiled once more. That is until he looked down. He was really high up, a lot higher than he thought. Sighing, he slowly made his way down the rock. But all too soon, he tripped on a piece of moss, and fell into a blackberry bush.
When he finally managed to get himself out, he grumbled as he looked himself over. His green skin was now stained purple, and his robes were even worse.
"Why me?" he sighed, now following after his master.
End Flashback…
Sesshomaru really missed the little toad now. And wished he could have been here to see Rin and him together. Knowing him, he would be fighting with Shippo right now about his comedy act that he was putting on for all of them. The kit was now sending little blue sparks of foxfire to his father's toes and ears, making him even more twitchy than he already was. The two had never really gotten along in the first place, but it still would have been funny to see.
He had gone to Jaken's grave earlier that morning when everyone was still asleep, and had finally paid his respects. He had talked to his burial site for nearly an hour, asking Jaken if this is what he had meant by his feeling's for Rin. But he knew the answer already. Jaken had known. And that's why he had also told him to make the truce.
So he could be happy with his family. And he must have known he wouldn't survive that last battle with Naraku, so he most likely didn't want neither him nor Rin left alone.
The little toad really did have a heart. And no matter how much of a pain in the ass he was, Sesshomaru would miss him greatly.
Finally turning his attention back to the others, he grabbed his nephew's hand as he was about to cause another spark to land on Inuyasha's ears.
"Behave," me mouthed to him warningly.
Shippo pouted, but listened after sending one more spark at his father's ears. Making him growl and itch them. Sesshomaru shook his head at is nephew, and felt a little bit of pity for his younger brother. Because if he and Kagome ever had kids, Shippo would most likely be there to mess them up.
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"Kagome! Are you ready yet?" her mother shouted threw the cloth barrier where her daughter was changing on the other side. "It's almost sunset dear!"
"Mom," she said dully, finally getting the last clasp on her corset top to go in place. "You have no idea how hard this dress is to get into. And the sleeves keep getting in the way."
When she finally removed the cloth, everyone gasped, even Kaede.
Her long, silvery white skirt ended at about her knees, and trailed along behind her as it delicately descended to the ground. The sleeves which she had been complaining about where made out of a silvery white see-through mesh fabric and the sleeves hung off her shoulders, splitting in the front so she could move around, and fell to the ground in long, thick waves of fabric as well. Her corset, which was most likely going to give Inuyasha heart attack, was made out of pure white silk, and sported a strand of pearls going down the back and front along the silver ribbon cross stitching. The ribbons were mostly see-through and thick as they fell just a little below the waistline.
She was gorgeous.
Her mother started to cry as she looked at her daughter. At first, she had thought her choice for a wedding dress was a little off. But seeing her in the gown now, she realized how right of a choice she had made. Minus the large curlers still in her hair, she looked like a fairy princess.
"Oh Kagome…" she cried. "You look beautiful, darling."
"Yeah you do!" Ayame said finally shutting her mouth, then sniffing the air. "And you're good to go on the tattoo…. I can't smell it what so ever."
Kagome sighed in relief. That had been her one major worry. Inuyasha smelling the ink and most likely tearing her dress apart to find out where the scent was coming from.
She would have most likely sat him to the point where they'd have to wait a month to 'mate'.
Sitting down on the stool she had also brought over, her mother started taking the curlers out of her now very long black hair. Since she had started her battles, she had decided to grow her hair out long, and now it trailed all the way down her back in long, thick locks.
As her mother released her hair from the curlers, they fell in elegant, thick curls starting from the top of her head and landing against the small of her back. Looking in the full length mirror Inuyasha had brought over for her years ago, she smiled at her reflection.
Her make up was a lot lighter than Sango's had been, having only a thin line of grey eyeliner, black mascara, and silver shimmer eye shadow, along with a light amount of blush and pale pink lip gloss, she looked like a mythical goddess of some sort. Her mother gently took out a powder puff from her bag of make up and lightly dusted Kagome's exposed chest and neck with silver glitter; it held the scent of Lavender. And from what she had learned about her husband to be, it was his favorite scent. So she was thrilled to death when her mother had found it that morning.
After her mother was done there, she lightly sprayed her daughter's hair with aqua net, making Ayame cough and nearly choke. But luckily, Kagome had brought her perfume with her, and sprayed her hair with it to cover up the nasty smell of the hairspray.
"Oh," her mother said now looking at the female wolf demon. "I'm so sorry dear, I forgot you have a nose like Inuyasha."
Ayame coughed a few more times, but gave Sachi the thumbs up, telling her she was alright. At least she was grateful Kagome had thought quickly and used her Lavender and Sakura Blossoms perfume. Somehow, that shit covered every nasty smell up. And it didn't bother the wolf at all. She really liked it in fact. So, after she could breath again, she went threw the bag and found a Sage and Lily perfume Kagome had given her the night before, and lightly sprayed herself with it.
"Is mine in there?" Rin asked looking at Ayame.
Nodding, Ayame handed her and Sango their perfumes as well.
Rin's scent was sweet and was called "Honeysuckle Melon". It was stronger than the rest, but it didn't bother the female youkai at all. And Sango's was called "Hibiscus and Roses". Strangely, it didn't really fit her personality, but it matched her natural scent dead on.
As Kagome's mother finished putting the finishing touches on her daughter's hair by adding small, green unopened buds of flowers, she sighed. Her mother had told her that they would open when she least expected them to, and not to worry. But she couldn't help but do that.
And finally an ancient family heirloom necklace. It had been her great, great, great grandmother's, and the stone in the center that was cut into an oval was called a moon opal. And since there would be a crescent moon tonight, it would glow and supposedly change colors. The chain it rested on was short, and the stone rested right between her collar bones. It looked beautiful, but she still wasn't all too pleased with the unopened flower buds in her hair.
Just as she looked at them as the sun finally set, they started to open, and her eyes widened.
Night Blooming Baby Roses.
No way.
"Uh mom?!" she asked as the fully opened and glowed lightly. "Where did you get these from?"
Her mother only smiled at her, not wanting to let her little secret out at that very moment. As she handed Kagome her bouquet, she gave her a shocked look. The flowers in her bouquet were normal, large night blooming roses. And in the center was a white, night blooming Cirrus Flower. And as she looked at her friends, she noticed the same flowers everywhere on them as well.
Ayame had two large one's tucked behind her ears, hiding their points. Rin had a halo of them around her head, and Sango had a bouquet and three large ones in her hair.
Everyone smiled at her, not wanting to give the secret away either. But Kagome was too thrilled right then and there to care. This had been her dream wedding flower to have when she was a little girl. And it was almost too rare to find anywhere in Japan. So her mother must have either grown these in their woods back in the future, or she had asked Kaede where to find them.
"Oh mom…" Kagome choked, almost to the point of crying. Suddenly she pulled her mother into a tight, fierce hug. "Thank you…" she whispered.
Her mother smiled, grateful that she had managed to give her daughter the one thing she really had wanted at her wedding. But they had to go. She wanted to be able to film everything she possibly could before all of the sunlight was gone. Luckily, these roses glowed gently in the dark, and with the amount of candles they had near the Sacred Tree, she wouldn't need to use the night vision.
"Sweetie," she cooed in her ear. "We need to go."
Kagome pulled back and blinked her eyes furiously, trying to keep her tears from flowing and ruining her make up. When she had succeeded, she smiled at everyone around her. And with a silent agreement, they all left the tent, together.
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As Kaede rushed as fast as she could ahead of them, she found all of the men, still standing where she had left them. Only Shippo was sitting down, scratching his chin and holding the pillow with both sets of rings on them in his other hand. Right then, she didn't care about being the mild mannered priestess they all knew. So, she said what she needed to say as she got in her place at the base of the tree, between Inuyasha and Miroku.
"Get ye's ass up. Now! They are coming," she snapped at the kitsune.
Everyone's eyes widened. But it managed to make Shippo stand up quickly and get to his place right next to the other male youkai's on the sidelines.
Inuyasha wanted to cheat and look in the direction they were coming. He hadn't seen his Kagome since yesterday. But he forced his head to stay in direction it was facing. Miroku was looking him dead in the eyes, just as he was. Until the music started, which was in a CD player Kagome had brought over the week before, they were not allowed to look down in the direction of the Cherry Blossom Trail they had made.
It was just as painful for Miroku from what he could tell in the now former monks eyes. After tonight, he might lose his spiritual powers, and for him, it would be more than worth it. But the suspense was killing them.
That's when the light, soft music started.
It wasn't the classical 'Here Come's the Bride' either. Kagome had found a soft, lovely instrumental Irish melody with flute and piano sounds for the ceremony. It was slow, and quite fitting in all of their minds.
Inuyasha slowly turned his head. And he quickly grabbed his chest and gasped when he saw her.
'Oh…My…God.'
And there she was. Walking towards him with the elegance of a queen. She had small whitish blue glowing flowers in her hair, and a bouquet of them in her hand. She looked like a goddess as she came closer to him. Her dress was stunning also.
It was a long skirt with lots of layers that cut off in the front right at about her knees, and it trailed quite a bit behind her in a long train. It was made out of fine, white silk, and as his eyes ventured upwards, he had to force himself to breath as he looked more closely at her top.
It was a silk corset encrusted with Pearls. It hugged her shapely form tightly, and caused her perfect, white breasts to slightly spill from the top. And her skin was sparkling in the moon's light along with the fading sun's. And as he looked closely at her sleeves which were hanging off her shoulders and exposing that skin to him as well, from what he could tell, the sleeves she wore were attached to the corset from underneath her arms. And they fell to the ground, but blew gently in the light breeze that had started only a little while ago.
She was beyond breathtaking as she finally reached his side. And as he took her hand in his, he found himself almost to the point of tears. She was so beautiful. And her scent was enhanced to something even more than normal. How could he have ever been this lucky?
Kagome stared at her hanyou in complete awe. He was so handsome in his ceremonial robes. And the way the candles lights reflected off of his eyes, they made them virtually glow. She could almost feel his hunger and complete adoration for her burning through his amber eyes of fire. And as she took his hand in hers, she squeezed it lightly. Letting herself and him know, that this wasn't a dream.
Since Sango had walked within his sight's range, he was in total awe of the woman he was devoting his life to. Her ceremonial white kimono was made of silk, just like Kagome's gown was. But he wasn't looking at Kagome, he was looking at her. She had White and Pink roses sewn into her kimono's bottom hem, giving it a classical look. Her eye's were an amazing shade of deep fuchsia, and right under her eyebrows was a light lavender powder, giving her eyes a wild temptress look.
She looked like a wild, Amazonian goddess as she had walked to him smiling. And it had been a long time since he'd seen her look this alive. He smiled back at her, admiring her strength and beauty. And as he took her hand as she faced him, he felt truly alive as well.
Koga's jaw nearly hit the dirt as he saw his female approaching him. And he wondered as he took in her unique scent which was heightened and sweetened lightly… why the hell did it take him so long to see how much he loved her?
She was no where near as dressed up as Kagome and Sango, but what she was wearing had him practically drooling where he stood. It was a long dark green kimono with lilies sewn into the fabric around the collar and bottom hem. And in her now straightened red hair, which trailed down her back, had two of those glowing bluish white roses in it. And her eyes… those amazing green eyes he loved so much. They had some light pale green make up on them, enhancing the color, and making them sparkle in the light. And her lips held a light shiny lip gloss to them.
If he could have taken her in that moment to be his mate, then he would have.
And last but not least, Sesshomaru saw his Rin. His eyes widened as he tried to catch his breath. She was positively radiant as she stood before him. Her hair, since it was so long now, hung in loose elegant curls falling down her back in a river of ebony. The kimono she was wearing had him smiling. It was a red and orange kimono, with little clouds along the hem and waist. Her eyes were sparkling with a light, white powder, and her eyelashes seemed a lot longer and thicker than they normally were, but beautiful none the less. And her lips were their natural color, only shinier, plump, and wet, much to his liking.
He never thought she could get anymore beautiful, but somehow, she had managed it for this one night. And he would remember the way she looked that night, for all of eternity if he could.
As Mrs. Higurashi caught up with everyone else, the ceremony began. And she had her video camera on and ready to go. And as Kaede started to speak, everyone looked to her.
"I would like to do this ceremony a little differently if ye don't mind," she said smiling at all of them.
They all smiled and nodded at her, then turned to look at their soon to be spouses.
"This is a time for change in ye's lives. A moment when everything will come together. But more importantly, a time for ye all to be thankful and happy," she said as she looked at all of them. "Never, in all of my years of being a priestess, have I seen such love bloom between such pairings."
She looked to Sango and Miroku.
"Even though most of ye's ceremonies have been for humans… they have never been for a pair such as yourselves. Ye have suffered many great tragedies, and still have managed to have a love so strong to save yourselves from the loneliness and bitterness you have felt in the past."
She turned to look at the wolf demons.
"Two demons that finally found love. And the fact that it won't be tragic and end in a battle to the death, makes ye happy to know end. It may have taken ye both a long time to figure each other out. But I know ye's future is bright and full of love and gentleness."
She looked to Sesshomaru and Rin.
"I know how hard of a battle you both have suffered in silence until now. A demon, not wanting to be like his father, and a human, not knowing her place in his heart. I have seen this before, and most of the time, it usually ends in some form of heartache and sorrow. But as ye can clearly see, ye were made for each other. Your love and devotion to comfort each other in times of need over the years, has only made ye's love stronger. And the reason why ye have survived this long. For a great demon such as yeself, Sesshomaru, I must say. That I am very proud of ye. And Rin, I am also proud of. For having so much faith in the one ye loves so much."
And last, but certainly not least, she looked to Inuyasha and Kagome. Smiling widely.
"For ye two, it has truly been a battle for many years. As I watched ye two grow, ye also grew to love each other. And now that love is finally being acknowledged, and proof that ye were meant for each other, body, mind, and soul. Inuyasha, I watched ye struggle with the need to be loved by at least someone for many years, and the fact of the matter is, no one can love ye as greatly as this young woman before you. No one can hold ye and tell ye your fine the way ye are, like she can. And no one can give ye the amount of devotion she has held to ye for so many years. She is your life, and ye's true soul. Without her, ye would never have found the will to live again."
"And Kagome, when I first met ye, ye were a strong willed young woman. Nothing has changed in that regard. But I have noticed the change in ye over the years. Ye became even more loving and gentle hearted towards everyone around ye. And ye managed to change this hanyou standing before ye for the better. He is now more loving, and caring, thanks to ye and ye alone. And without him, I know how lonely and sad ye would be. Because a soul cannot find true happiness, without it's mate."
Kaede took a deep breath, knowing now this was going to be the interesting part of the ceremony. She felt as though her heart was going to beat itself to death in her chest. She had waited for this moment for years. And slowly, unlike Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Inuyasha and Kagome, the others had also become a part of their strange little family. And she was truly grateful to see them all, finally happy and together.
"To the two men, take up ye rings for your brides and say the vows ye have alone written for them," she said warmly.
As Inuyasha and Miroku took the rings from the pillow Shippo had been holding up for them, the girls smiled at their nervousness. Kaede turned first to Miroku, and spoke very softly to him. And he repeated everything he had wanted to say to her perfectly.
"Sango, you have been my pillar in the hardest of times, giving me your strength when I needed it the most. I have never felt this way. And to be loved by you is the greatest treasure of all. I was always doing things to try and gain your affections. But in truth, I knew you loved me all along. So now, I take you as my wife. Shall one of us get sick, we will care for one another. Shall we have children, I promise they won't inherit my little issue, but more importantly, shall one of us ever need anything, we will be there for each other… I love you, my dearest Sango. And this is my pledge to you, and only you."
As Miroku slid her ring on her finger, he held her hand up to the light, wanting her to see his gift right away. Her eyes widened as she saw the pink stone sitting in the center, but then she looked at the rest of the ring, and she nearly cried. There, and with a small diamond next to each of them, was the name of one of her family members.
She looked at Miroku and smiled as a tear escaped one of her eyes.
"Thank you," she mouthed to him still smiling at him.
Miroku smiled back, and looked back at the pillow, there was still one more part left, and she needed to fulfill it before she could jump at him and smother him in kisses. Taking his ring up, she looked it over carefully, the instant she had seen the stone, she alone knew it was his. One of Miroku's favorite colors had always been purple, and upon seeing the purple oval stone, she picked it up. His ring was very simple and pretty, but then she looked closely, and found their names engraved on either side. Forcing her tears of unspeakable happiness away, she held his hand and looked him dead in the eyes. And nearly got lost in those amazing violet pools before her.
"Miroku, I will admit honestly, that when I first met you, you drove me crazy. But now I know it was because you cared. Had you not done anything, then I wouldn't have laughed as much as I did over these years. You made me smile, when I wanted to cry, and you made me strong, when I felt beyond weak. You taught me that love can be complicated, funny, and most importantly, true. I never would have been able to pick myself up and be so strong, had you not been there to guide and protect me in your own ways… what I am trying to say is, I love you, Miroku. And I will always be there to 'keep you in line'. And I will always be there to love and cherish you. And now, I take you as my husband, for now and always."
As she slid the ring on his finger, she noticed he had tears in his eyes, and no matter how much he wanted to hide them, they still collected in his eyes. When he blinked suddenly, the two large puddles drifted down his cheeks in a rush. And he didn't bother wiping them away. Even though he must have looked like a complete and utter crybaby in front of everyone, all that mattered was his Sango. And she was just smiling at him.
"Inuyasha, it is ye's turn now," Kaede said smiling.
As he took a deep breath, Inuyasha looked into Kagome's eyes as he picked up the ring.
"Okay," he said sighing and sounding nervous. "I don't really know where to begin. But maybe I can start with this," he said now smiling at her. "Kagome, I know for a fact, that you are my one and only true soul mate. I can feel you in my dreams, and your scent has always relaxed me. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for you always prying your way into my heart. And in truth, I'm very glad you did. For my entire life, and as long as I can remember, no one has ever accepted me as I am today. Being born of both bloods, human and demon. I am normally thought of as a mistake. And for a long time, I felt I was one."
"That is, until you came into my life. I lost the desire to be like everyone else, and just be me in the end. And without you, those thought's never would have crossed my mind… You alone trusted me when no one else would, and you have saved me from darkness and loneliness countless times. And the fact that even the thought of living a single day without you tears apart my very soul, I know we were meant to be together. It just took me a little longer to figure it out is all… What I alone am trying to say, is that I love you Kagome Higurashi, with all of my heart and soul.And I would rather sleep under another curse once more, for longer than a thousand years if need be, then ever see you hurt, or sad again in this lifetime. So, I take you as my wife in the human customs, and my life mate, in the demonic ones. I love you, for now, until eternity ends."
As Inuyasha slid the ring onto her finger, Kagome's own tears decided to break though and pour down her face. And the scent of her tears of rain quickly made Inuyasha look at her, concerned. But the confusion melted away in him as he saw her smile.
Those were tears alright, but they weren't sad in the least.
Those were tears of joy.
Kagome had to take a moment to recover from her little crying fest. But she couldn't help it. Inuyasha had never been that open with her, or at least not in front of so many people. Thanking her mother silently for bringing that video camera, she looked to the pillow which held a solitary ring on it. And as she looked closely at it, she realized what she wanted to say.
Looking back into his eyes, she smiled at him.
"I remember when I first met you, and how afraid you were to trust. You wouldn't even look me in the eyes unless it was absolutely necessary. Then, slowly over time, you began to trust me. And as we can see now, love me. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I nearly lost hope, but my hope that someday, you would see me as more than a friend, had always managed to cling on."
"I have always loved you. As a human, a demon beast, and your natural hanyou form. I know it sounds crazy, but I have always loved every part of you. Whenever you were in your full demon form, you could always hear my voice and then you would come back to me, and you trusted me with your secret of the night's you became human long ago. I didn't know why at first, but then, after thinking about it, I realized it was because of our connection and love we were too stubborn to admit at the time."
"I still remember how much you hurt, everytime someone called you a worthless half breed, and how much courage you had. I think you proved more people wrong than anyone else I have ever known. And I can't even say how proud of you I am for that."
Now, Kagome's tears were flowing once more. But she held on as best she could, just so she could finish.
"You have always been my great protector, my best friend, and now, the one person I have always wanted to spend my life with. And if I had to wait another five hundred years in the future for you, I would bend the laws of time, just to wait, and find you once more. A day without seeing your amber golden eyes, is like a day without the sun for me. A day without your smile, is a day where I cannot live peacefully. And a day without hearing your voice, is the day I am truly alone. So, I take you, Inuyasha, as my husband and life mate. I will always love and cherish you, and keep you safe in my heart and soul. But, I wanted to tell you one more thing, and it's the most important. You will never be alone again, as long as I live. I love you, for now, and always. Time can never separate us. Just like time can never separate true love. Because when it's there, no one can take it away."
As Kagome picked the solitary ring up, she placed it gently on his ring finger. And as she went to move her and away, Inuyasha gently grabbed it. When she looked into his eyes, she was almost shocked, he was crying. Just like her.
"I love you," he mouthed to her as a tear ran down his cheek.
Kagome smiled at him, and mouthed the words back. But then, he said something else.
"Look at your ring," he mouthed once more.
Confused, she did as he asked, and found herself gasping.
It was them. On the band of either side of the ring. And it was of the first time she had seen him, still sleeping under the spell from Kikyo's arrow. And her, looking at him. The way she had when she had first seen him that day, in her school uniform no less.
Now she didn't care about ruining her make up, and as her tears rushed down her face, she smiled at him. This was the one thing she never would have expected from her hanyou. And she still couldn't believe her first memory of him was resting there, on her ring finger. She wished so badly that she could run into his arms and smother him in kisses for this. He'd really outdone himself. And she couldn't even begin to thank the gods of the universe for giving her such a man. He truly was perfect in everyway.
And now she understood why he had been asking her what her favorite memory was a few weeks ago. And she was thankful she had given him a very detailed description of it.
Flashback…
It truly had been a splendid week. Her and Inuyasha had told each other their true feelings, and were now sitting under the Sacred Tree, wrapped in each others arms. They had mostly been quiet, just enjoying each others presence, but then, Inuyasha had asked her something completely out of the blue.
"Tell me, what's your favorite memory of us Kagome?" he'd asked as he gently ran his claws threw her hair.
She looked up at him, almost confused by the question, but answered him none the less.
"My favorite memory… hmm… that would have to be when we first met. When I found you still under the spell, and sleeping on this very tree."
He laughed.
"You mean the day I almost killed you because I thought you were Kikyo? Why that memory?"
"Because, even though you were under a spell, you looked so peaceful there. And in truth, you made my heart skip a few beats for the first time ever in my life when I saw you. I was lost, and trying to find a way back home at the time, and when I stumbled out of the bushes and saw you, my mind completely cleared. And since you seemed like you had been there for a while, because of all of the vines you had growing over your body, I felt some strange form of compassion towards you right then and there… it was the first time we had met, and even though after you had woken up you were a little crazy, I still remember the way you looked that day when I first saw you. Sleeping peacefully to the tree, and I just stood there looking at you."
Inuyasha looked away for a moment, as if contemplating something, then smiled.
"My favorite memory is when you first introduced me to Ramen," he said laughing. "I think I got sick from eating it too quickly, and you kept yelling at me like I was a child ."
Kagome rolled her eyes, knowing that at least one of his favorites had to do with Ramen.
"I should have known it would be that memory," she mumbled.
Inuyasha almost stopped laughing that instant. And gave her a look.
"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.
Kagome laughed as she adjusted herself to sitting in his lap, and faced him. As she straddled his hips, he growled at her softly.
"No, it's just I was yelling at you for no reason. You were always thick headed from what I remember," she said giving him a coy smile
Inuyasha smiled at her and gently tickled her sides. When she tried to push his hands away, he snaked his arms around her waist and held her tight as he continued his gentle tickles to her flesh. When she was laughing so hard her eyes began to water, Inuyasha gave her a devilish look as he cut open her shirt from the front, exposing her white bra and stomach to him. Kagome's eyes widened and she blushed as she looked down at her now nearly naked form, but she gave him a playful glare.
"That wasn't fair," she whispered as her hands slowly made there way to his ears. And when she began to rub them, he purred softly.
"Like that is?" he moaned.
As Kagome began to bend down to kiss him, they both stopped upon hearing someone scream. When they had both looked in the direction the sound was coming from, there stood Shippo, covering his eyes.
"Dear gods! Can't you two stop that?!" he yelled at them. "I don't need to see my parents in that position for crying out loud!"
Inuyasha for once ignored the kit, and rolling his eyes, he captured Kagome's lips in his. She laughed against his lips, knowing full well they would never hear the end of it from Shippo. But she didn't care… this was all she needed. And his love was the only thing she would ever truly cherish. Because it was real, and pure…
Shippo pulled one hand away from his eyes, and sighed as he turned around, but unbeknownst to his parents, he was smiling. Even though it made him sick to his stomach to see them all over each other, he was happy that they had finally gotten together. And that was all that mattered to him.
End Flashback…
Yes, now it all made sense. And he really had given her the most amazing wedding ring she ever thought he could give her. And now as she looked into his eyes, she smiled once more.
"Ye have all now said what ye wanted to say," Kaede said warmly. "And from what I can see, it has greatly touched each of your hearts. The love ye two couples share is phenomenal, and should be treasured for the rest of ye's lives. Which is why, I am so grateful to be the one to say this to ye both…"
And as the two couples looked back at her, she smiled once more.
"I now pronounce ye, husband and wife…. Ye may kiss your brides."
And with that, Sango jumped into Miroku's arms and kissed him deeply. And in return, he picked her slightly off the ground and just held her there in his arms.
Kagome smiled shyly at her hanyou as she wrapped her arms around his neck. And when there lips touched for the first time in a day, Inuyasha picked her up by her waist as well, only he slowly began to spin in circles with her in his arms. As her dress fanned out and slowly began to circle them, she laughed. This was her perfect moment with him, and it was going to stay fresh in her mind for the rest of her life, no matter how long that would be. When he finally set her down, he held her close. Taking in her scent and natural warmth he loved so much. And when he finally looked into her eyes, he smiled.
"We did it," he said softly to her.
Kagome smiled and kissed him again.
"Yes," she whispered with her lips against his. "We finally did."
And with that, everyone clapped in celebration. This truly was a moment none of them would ever forget. So, as the newly married couples started to walk away, the other couples along with Kaede, Sachi, and Shippo, followed afterwards. Starting their way back to the village for their little after party.
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Sniff!
I love weddings!
Okay, now I want a lot of reviews for this chapter!
I worked my butt off on it after all!
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Tell me what you thought.
Toodles,
Me
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